Episode 74
“Even if you share only half the blood, you’ll soon be the Empress, won’t you? You should take this seat.”
“……!”
“Louis. I won’t sit by and watch as others suppress me anymore. If you plan to do the same, I won’t stand for it.”
“Ugh, wh-what is that?”
“So hold your breath.”
The moment the red mist surged and the black mass burst out still burned vividly in his memory. That horrific moment, seared into his mind, forced Louis Dimitri into submission. Since then, he had lived in fear of the Empress.
To have fallen out of favor with the Empress… If he hadn’t been a true member of the Blake Ducal House, he might already be dead.
The real issue was that, thanks to her, Marquis Dimitri—caught in the middle—felt like he was slowly being bled dry.
Louisa Blake, whom everyone expected to fall away on her own, had suddenly become docile.
Worse, the engagement with the First Prince, which everyone thought would soon be broken, now showed signs of lasting—further agitating the Empress.
So when they were looking for a way to distribute large volumes of a high-demand product without attracting attention, the fact that Louisa Blake was the investor behind the famously high-export wine was a welcome coincidence.
They planned to stir Louisa up again and mix their covert shipments into legitimate ones—no longer needing to hide the cargo among other goods.
After all, since the slavers were exposed, port inspections wouldn’t be as thorough, and investigations would naturally wrap up.
“Come to think of it, I suppose you haven’t heard. Lady Blake did something admirable this time.”
“What are you referring to?”
“She awakened holy power and purified knights who had been corrupted by dark magic. Impressive, isn’t it?”
But once again, things veered off course. And once again, it was Louisa Blake.
Now she had awakened divine power—only strengthening the First Prince, already the closest candidate to the Crown Prince.
“……It must’ve been a lucky break.”
“Ah, luck, you say. She seems to have gained far too much for it to be just that. If this continues, it’ll be a real problem.”
The Empress’s lips curled into a smooth arc. Though it was the same elegant smile as always, it sent a chill down the Marquis’s spine.
“We should hold a royal hunt.”
“……It would be good to show that the nation is still stable despite the unrest.”
“To do that, the Saintess must return to the capital.”
The Empress signaled to a waiting maid nearby.
“Summon her immediately. It’s time she solidified her role as the Saintess.”
“Yes, I’ll deliver the message right away.”
“Then… what of the East? It doesn’t seem like the situation has been resolved yet…”
The Marquis trailed off, reading the atmosphere. He instinctively lowered his gaze under the Empress’s rose-colored eyes, now fixed coldly on him.
“Did you think becoming the region’s lord made you the true master of the East?”
“I apologize.”
“Worry about your own future, Marquis.”
“……I’ll keep that in mind.”
The Empress slowly picked up her teacup. As her fingertips brushed the still-warm porcelain, she tilted it slightly.
“If we get through the hunt without issue, I’ll send you back to the East. You can use your abilities freely there—though it’ll be tough. Who knows what might happen out there?”
With graceful hands, she poured the tea—not into her mouth, but into the flower vase that decorated the table.
Louisa tilted her head slightly as she exited the Archbishop’s chambers.
“I guess this is goodwill?”
There was no sinister feeling in the Archbishop’s offer. It smelled like mutual benefit.
It was sudden, sure, but it wasn’t like he was asking for anything—he was offering help. There was nothing for Louisa to object to.
In fact, it might even be an amazing opportunity.
“Guess I’ll just keep an eye on things for now. I can’t exactly say I met God in a dream when I’m not even sure myself.”
Straightening her head, Louisa glanced around. At some point during her musings, she had passed through the grand sanctuary and arrived at the main hallway.
“But this is kind of overwhelming…”
Along the way, she kept feeling the constant stares of the Holy Knights.
“Why is everyone looking at me?” she asked Raphael, who insisted on escorting her all the way back to her estate.
His handsome profile turned toward the direction of the stares, and his brows furrowed disapprovingly.
“I’ll order them to look away at once.”
“Wait!”
Louisa hurriedly grabbed his arm to stop him as he moved, looking ready to pounce on the knights.
“I just want to know why they’re staring. Do you have any idea?”
She could feel his muscles tense under her palms. He froze completely, only his stiff eyes shifting down to where she held him.
“Oh, sorry.”
Realizing what she’d done, Louisa quickly let go. A trace of disappointment flashed across Raphael’s face.
“You can keep holding on, if you want…”
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
Mumbling to himself, he let out a small sigh, covering the arm she had touched with his other hand as he resumed walking.
“Now it looks like I hit him or something.”
Louisa stared at him, dumbfounded. When he noticed she wasn’t following, he stopped and looked back, as if asking, Why aren’t you coming?
“Ugh… I don’t even know anymore.”
Honestly, the biggest wild card in this world might just be Raphael.
First he said he was interested in her, then he started tossing out things that sounded suspiciously like confessions. She couldn’t understand what he was thinking at all.
“And why am I just letting it all happen?”
She hadn’t exactly rejected him, but she hadn’t accepted him either—keeping an ambiguous distance.
Sure, she hadn’t had time to think seriously about him with all the chaos happening around her, but it still felt oddly vague.
Louisa slowly started walking after him again.
“The knights have been sharing intel internally. I believe the ones who recently returned to the temple have spread word of your good deed.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“Still, I’ll make sure the matter doesn’t leak to the outside world.”
Just judging by the stares alone, this seemed unlikely. Louisa glanced around with a conflicted expression.
“Well, it’s not like I plan to hide it forever…”
She was only delaying things to avoid a hassle. It wasn’t a bad rumor—it was a good thing, actually. It just wasn’t ideal for word to spread that her purification powers were particularly strong.
Once that happened, she knew what would follow: people whispering about taking the Saintess title from her, pestering her at every turn, and the royal family either trying to use her or keep her in check. It would be exhausting.
“Captain!”
Louisa casually brushed off the looks now, almost used to it.
Just as they were leaving the temple building, a knight on horseback dismounted directly in front of them.
“Is it okay for him to be moving around like that?” Raphael murmured.
“I’m fine! Lady Blake, it’s an honor to meet you.”
A brown-haired man with a strict air about him bowed respectfully.
“I’m Kyle Frain, Deputy Captain of the Holy Knights. I owe you my life. My apologies for the delayed thanks.”
“Oh… you were one of the wounded?”
Kyle, who wore glasses and gave off a scholarly vibe, lifted his head with perfect posture and adjusted his glasses.
“That’s right. It was an honor to witness your miracle firsthand.”
“That’s enough. I’m just glad you’re alright.”
“No, truly. I’ll never forget this grace for the rest of my life. If I hadn’t already pledged my life to God, I’d have pledged my loyalty to you on the spot.”
Good. At least he’d already sworn himself to God.
Just look at that glint in his eyes. Any more, and she would’ve ended up with a clingy burden. Louisa smiled calmly, her eyes half-lidded.
“That’s excessive. You shouldn’t throw around such words,” Raphael said coldly.
“If anyone is pledging loyalty to her, it should be me.”
…What?
Louisa stared at Raphael in disbelief, wondering if she’d heard him wrong. His face remained expressionless, but there was a sharpness about him that matched the edge of his nose.
“If Lady Blake is willing to accept, there’s no rule that says only one person can pledge loyalty.”
Why are you even entertaining this? Kyle replied earnestly, adjusting his glasses again. Why were they both taking this seriously over an oath that would never even happen?
“…If this conversation is going to go on any longer, can I leave?” Louisa asked plainly.
“Apologies. I’ve gone on too long.”
“You came here just to thank her? Then go on.”
“I also came to report something.”
“Here, out in the open?”
Why not just go to the office to talk? Why were they having this discussion right in front of the entrance?
“You two talk. I’ll head back.”
As Louisa turned to go, Raphael called out in alarm.
“Wait, please. Could you wait just a moment?”
“…Sure.”
“Thank you. Kyle, speak here.”
